Zip Drive Write Problem

jkeg, Try to reinspect and starting from the basic installation of the zip drive. Inspect the cable being connected in its proper orientation and without any loose end nor half-inserted occasion.

Drive can be accessed by the system win98 however data can either read nor write.  Or data may be copied to but not copied back. This may be due to the wrong orientation of the connection cable.

(eg. reversed long/short end, reversed red line, the end connector is not connected with the drive which is the last one in the chain but being connected using the Mid-connector in connection etc...)  

Try to look at one PAQ that I've solved

the question's URL under topic area of window 98:
https://www.experts-exchange.com/jsp/qShow.jsp?ta=win98&qid=10161543 
Title: "Internal ZIP100MB lockup on large file or foldersave"
we have had walked through everything from software to hardware and there was a counter same system (offic and home) to verify all the possibilities.  

Hope that may be in assistance to you.   pslh

I don't have one of these around right now and never had to look at this, but I would call the write protect sensor a prime culprit. if it is a switch it may have gone bad, if it is optical, well then it may just have some dust on it, so have a look through the slot and see if you can see where it is, see if the click sounds positive if you poke it with a matchstick if it is a switch, or use something to try dusting it off if it looks optical. If it is broken, you may be able to find a local electronics genius to replace the sensor for you, or maybe, lock the drive in unprotected mode permanently, so it is always writable/deletable whether the disk protect widget is on or not.

regards,

Road Warrior

have u tried using a brand new zip disk media to check to make sure that your drive ca/cannot write to that?

If you can readthe disk your cable is connected correctly...it would not work at all if there was a cable reveresal... these drives only cost $100 so they would not be worht fixing even if someone could asthe cost would be close to simply buying a new one...

I would first try a brand new disk...

then I would take an old one ( if the brnad bnew one doesnt allow u to write to it)  and se if u can format or erase it using the software.  If that doesnt work I would completely uninstall the software and go to the iomega site and download the new 2.0 tools software and install it and see if that help u with your problem... but I would almost suspect you have amedia problem not a physicla problem with your dirve. The only way to be sure is to try a never  before used zip disk in your drive

The WRITE PROTECT feature on ZIP drives is not mechanical like it is on floppies but rather a flag stored on the disk itself.  Each disk has it's own setting.

If NONE of your ZIP disks are writable, this points to a failure in the ZIP drive itself which is not an uncommon situation!!.  I'd check if the drive is still covered under warranty.  If so, you still may want to buy another one as IOMEGA is notorious for taking many weeks to replace a drive returned under warranty.

BTW, no way on the cable reversal.  If so, it would never have worked at all....

Try cleaning the drive.  I dont think there is a cleaning disk, but check for that first.  If not, get a can of compressed air, and blow the dust out of the drive.  If the write protect sensor is dirty, this could be the problem.

Boot to DOS, and run Guest from the Iomega 1.44MB floppy disk.  If the drive works correctly there, then the opperating system drivers are the problem.  Obtain the latest Iomega drivers from their web site, and install them.

Make sure your CMOS setting for the LPT: port is stillset up to Standard Paralell port, and Bi-Directional.

Jason_S,

There is NOT a write protect sensor on a ZIP disk!  As I already said, it's stored in a special sector on the disk media itself.  Think of it as "soft" write protection.

If you read the original question, you also see that this is NOT a parallel port drive but an internal IDE drive.  It does not, therefore, depend on the parallel port settings.

jhance, <<BTW, no way on the cable reversal.  If so, it would never have worked at all....>> It may be absolutely true in DOS or some other operating system which I also agreed with, BUT NOT true in WINDOWS 98.

There is a theory related to the windows98 and the Input/Output data to/from the harddisk and floppy. if someone really interested to dig out the feature of Window98 under this topic of queries , just like me out of the ulmost curiosity (supported by theory and experimental result) , you will find out there is logic being applied that is always true and being applied from the OLD DOS dates till now but only under window98 operating system to reveal that.    

Old sayings said the world is a "flat land" 200 years ago. Don't you believe it now. However our world is round starting from its very very beginning. Only people not reveal it from his/her own standpoint.

Not to challenge you and no offensive meaning.
If you have available computer (Installed solely the system of window98 in your computer), try to reversed both end of the floppy cable. Do some experiements as I did 12 months ago. You'll get a picture by your genius wisdom.

As I repeat, this is only very specific to the mechanism of the operating system of Window98. Don't deny anything if other situation not being applied and being presumed it to be universally.

BTW, the cable orientation may or may not be one of the main reason by jkeg could not access the Iomega Zip drive. However, there is a possibilities in any way.
<<This is a constructive argumentation!!!  >>     pslh

pslh

That is a quirk specific to floppy drives and is due to the motor select and head select lines being selected by the cable twist. If the cable is totally turned around then you get a "b" drive instead of an "a" drive, which situation can be used laboriously in good old DOS if you feel it worth the effort. On one of my systems I had a mangled A drive connector so had it set up similar to this with the floppy on the B connector and switching on A-B swap in bios, worked for years with dos/win3.1.

Just reversing the connector on floppy, IDE or SCSII will merely succeed in grounding all the output and control pins of the drive and interface. All of that is down to the hardware which at this electronic pin compatibility level has remained unchanged for years, so while people said the world was flat the world was round all the time. Probably works easily in win 98 nowadays because someone figured it is cheaper to build jumperless floppy drives and straight through floppy cables.

regards,

Road Warrior

Road Warrior,<<If the cable is totally turned around then you get a "b" drive instead of an "a" drive,>> Nop, not that case. One still read it as floppy A in windows98.

That's why window98 has a lot of questions related to floppy drive and most of the questioners said it won't be happened in win95a ....  However,eventhough I knew why. I knew how to make it out. It's very difficult to explain to most of the users because they have firmly adopted in their mind that <it won't be like that, unbelievable!>  That's the case. Thus, I normally don't tell a long story behind if other than some genius expert raised this matter again.
 
I would rather keep it silent unless I've found the questioner also raised up the same queries and I tried to put a reason (Problem solved is the main point for them instead of knowing any bits/bytes.)!

I will keep your comment and be noted if in case needed.  Thanks!    pslh

The point about cable reversal on FLOPPIES is well taken.  we're NOT talking floppies here but rather IDE.  IDe cables don't use the "twist" in the middle that can cause problems with floppy drives is the cable is (not reversed) but swapped end-for-end.

jkeg, have you read through the PAQ which I recommended you to pay a visit. Anything that you have queries,please let me know.   pslh

jhance:  OOPS!!  Missed the IDE connection.  And the write protect as I understood was the optical on the corner of the disk.  But untill I know for sure otherwise, I will believe you.

jkeg:  My other suggestions are still valid.  Give them a try, and let us know.

um we have already several of stated that it is impossible for the cables to be reversed... I believe that I was the first one to alreadyt state that the  cables would have to be installed correctly or it would not read...this is an ide device, end of story. But we are starting , some of us to get off the track. This is a $100 drive. The drive should be tested with new media to see if it can write to it.. if not as Jhance and I are alluding to the drive is bad and needs to be replaced with a new one. And Yes Iomega takes forever to do anyhting.. we all probably remember the rebate fiasco.

Jkeg I am still curious to know if the drive writes to a new piece of media... but there are really only the 2 things to do...test it on ne and if it doesnt work then replace the drive as Jhance said. Im glad Jhance jumped in and answered this... I think there is too much of a tendecny sometimes for us to comment when people simply want an answer

OK.  The reason I haven't responded for a few days is because seeing you guys bicker about the cable reversal issue is entertaining.  Anyway, I went into the box, checking the wiring, and guess what - some of the cables from the power supply leading to the zip had been knocked loose where I had just installed an internal modem, to replace a winmodem.  I plugged them back in, reformatted the damaged disk that the Ztracks had been screwed up on, and everything was peachy.  I wouldn't have thought about hardware failure except at pslh's prodding, therefore, I believe the points should go to him.  Pslh - please answer this question (and restate your advice for the PAQ people so that they may recieve the same help you gave me.)  Thank you for helping me with this - I was on the verge of buying a new one when I remembered I had an account here.  You saved me $100, and I am indebted for it.

jkeg and all the participants in this thread:
-----Some info. prior to this question, jkeg had posted two questions to ask for HELP.

jkeg has put a "2800" points for the following question.
https://www.experts-exchange.com/Computers/Hardware/EQ.10217577.html"
> > Then jkeg has put a "zero" points within topic area of Win98. https://www.experts-exchange.com/Computers/Operating_Systems/Windows/Win98/EQ.10217578.html
--------------
jkeg was rather desperate to ask for help at the beginning.
Glad that jkeg has also accepted my suggestion too to delete the "Extremely Too High point".

jkeg,I concentrated my work here in EE mainly under win98 topic area. If you didn't post the "zero" point question in win98, I wouldn't be alerted that you've had a need here.

Thus, some of the techs here actively contributed under "hardware" topic may not familiar with me and treated me as a new comer. For those techs, nice to share with you all.    With my best regards.      pslh    

Thank you for your assistance pslh.

jkeg, you're welcome and thank you for your A grade.  pslh